chapter six
1359 Words
6 weeks later…
Emerald Pov
“What the f**k are you doing here?” I snap at the girl before me. I would say women but only a girl is this pathetic.
She sighs before placing down her tray and turning to lead me out the cafe. Once outside she turns to me.
“You need to leave Emerald,” she says my name with such distain.
I narrow my eyes at her and steel my jaw. “Not until you tell me where my brother is.”
She looks at me confused, “how should I know?”
“Well he headed back to the castle because you called him back. Only he never made it there and you had disappeared too.” I tell her with a hand on my hip. My patience is running thin.
‘Just shift now’ Jamie snarls angrily.
We have been searching for both Arlo and Raven for six weeks and this b***h is hiding in some shitty cafe. She is actually playing waitress.
“I did call him but it was because I decided to leave him. I didn’t tell him to come back.” She says with confusion.
“You left on your own?” I ask her in disbelief and she nods. “What about Jada?”
She looks down at her feet in shame, “I don’t know how to be a mother. She is better off with Arlo and your family.”
I can see that I am wasting my time here. “You are pathetic.” I say before closing my eyes to concentrate. “She’s fine by the way, not that you asked.”
I feel the tingles of magic in my veins before the smoke consumes me. As it clears away again I am back at the castle.
“Thank the goddess!” Elijah says as I appear before him.
“Why would you just take off without anyone?!” Ethan shouts in anger.
The second we had a lead I misted myself to the location. It could have been dangerous if it was a trap or something. But I could’ve just misted back out again.
My skills with misting are increasing every day. I only discovered I could do it by accident. The first week at the castle was tough and I couldn’t stop thinking about the fact I wanted to see my parents. Next thing I knew, I was before them.
“It was useless anyway,” I tell them with a shrug. I can see footprints on the floor where the pair of them have been pacing the last ten minutes.
‘Touch them’ Jamie demands.
I step forward and into Ethan’s embrace before lightly pressing my lips to his. Then I turn and do the same to Elijah. Only when i turn to step away again Elijah pulls me back against him, resting his arm over my shoulder. He is always the one who enjoys touch more.
“Raven was there,” I tell them and Ethan looks at me confused. “She didn’t even know Arlo was missing. She called him that day to tell him she was leaving. She chose to leave my brother and their baby behind.”
“s**t,” Elijah says from behind me and gives me a little reassuring squeeze.
“I just wish I could use the misting the same way i did the first time. I only thought of my parents and appeared before them. Yet when I think of Arlo…” I trail off and huff in frustration.
“Maybe it isn’t working Arlo’s side, not yours.” Ethan says, deep in thought. “Have you tried misting to anyone else?”
“No, only to a location” I say with a shrug. He could be right.
“Maybe you should try misting to Megan and Yusef. It’s about time to check in with them anyway,” Ethan suggests.
‘Give it a go’ Jamie encourages.
I close my eyes and focus on Megan. The familiar tingles start in my veins again. The mist consumes me before clearing again.
“Emerald?” I hear Megan ask from behind and turn to see her.
Her smile grows large as she pulls me into a hug. “How did you get here?”
“Misting,” I give the short answer. “I’ve come to check in with you. Everything okay?” I look around but don’t see Yusef.
“Yusef?” Megan shouts. “He is just bathing in the lake. We can get a drink whilst we wait for him.”
She pulls me over to a little fire they have set up before pouring us two cups of hot cocoa. We sit on a log and listen to the sounds of the woods.
“This is nice,” I deliberate. “So quiet and calm.” I can’t help but resent the fact my life is so chaotic.
“No one else could do it Em,” Megan tells me. “It may be hard to see it from where you are, but you are our best chance. You are strong, fierce and down right stubborn. Loyal to your core and don’t take s**t from anyone.”
I don’t respond and continue to look at the fire.
“There has been talk among the rogues. The elder council wanted to challenge you being beta, due to the lineage. They are furious that you have now stepped in for royalty. You need to be careful. Or else Arlo may loose the throne before he returns.”
“I won’t let that happen,” I swear with determination.
Yusef returns and we manage to catch up for a while before I head back. I mist back to my bedroom at the castle and see it is empty. I take the opportunity and head into the huge bathtub. I let the steaming hot water dissolve all my worries.
‘Don’t worry Em. We can handle this. We will find Arlo’ Jamie reassures.
-
Reggie Pov
I wake with a start as Jessabelle thrashes beside me. Sweat covers her skin and her heart rate has sky rocketed.
“Jess,” I shake her shoulders and her eyes fly open. She takes a moment to look around the room before focusing on me.
She bursts into tears and throws her arms around my neck, burying her head in my chest.
The nightmares are constant. She has them multiple times a night. I try my best to distract her and soothe her. She falls back to sleep in my arms and then she’s awake again within a few hours.
It’s one of the main reasons I ignored her fathers direct order to not spend the night here. It’s also the reason he hasn’t reinforced it.
My nightmares are no better but I am usually pulled from them by Jess’.
We are just a pair of broken survivors.
Her crying slows down after a moment so I lie us back down, my arms cradled around her.
“I was tied to the rafters, my arms above my head.” She says and my body grows tense.
Jess rarely talks about what happened unless it is a new memory. I don’t even respond, I just listen. She uses it almost like a purge.
“He elongated his claws on one hand.” She sniffles, trying to hold the tears. “He dug the claws into the back of my neck before dragging them down my back, right over my bottom and down my left leg.”
I know the exact mark. Usually werewolves don’t get scars but given the extent of Jess’ injuries and the fact she died, she has got scars all over.
“Once he pulled his claws out he pressed his blood covered hand to my left breast and squeezed.”
‘I can’t hear much more’ Zagreus is growling furiously.
You must control yourself Zagreus. She trusts us enough to tell us this, you will not destroy that.
I press a soft kiss to Jess’ hair and pull her tighter in my arms.
- Writer
